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A viral hook turns the first few seconds of your video into a polished, scroll-stopping opening. Pick a template and OpusClip fills it with either your captions or the video theme, then adds animated text, zoom effects, and matching sound effects on top of your existing footage.
💡 Image placeholder: Before/after GIF of a video opening with a viral hook applied.

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Before you start

  • Plans: Available on Trial, Pro, Max, and Business plans.
  • Credits: Each hook uses credits. See How credits work below.
  • Best results: Talking-head videos with a single speaker and a clear opening line. Hooks work best when the first few seconds are one continuous shot.

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Add a hook in a Recipe

In any Recipe, you can turn on viral hook.
  1. Upload your video and choose a Recipe.
  2. In the recipe settings, find Auto hook and make sure the Viral hook toggle is on.
  3. Browse the templates and hover over one to preview it.
  4. Select the template you want, then start processing.
When your video is ready, the hook plays over its opening, filled with your own words.
💡 Screenshot needed: Auto Edit workflow settings with the Viral hook toggle on and the template picker open.

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Add hooks when clipping

When clipping, viral hook is off by default.
  1. Upload your video and choose Get clips in 1 click.
  2. In the clipping settings, turn on Auto hook > Viral hook.
  3. Choose a template.
  4. Choose how many of your top clips get a hook.
  5. Click Get clips.
The hook is applied to the opening of each selected clip. It comes with its own sound effects and zoom, and doesn’t change the rest of your clip.
💡 Screenshot needed: Clipping settings with the Auto hook option highlighted.
Already have clips? On the results page, select ‘edit clip’ to continue adding viral hook.

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Add or replace a hook in the editor

  1. Open your clip or video in the editor.
  2. In the right sidebar, click Hook, then select the viral hook tab.
  3. Filter templates by style, for example Clean & corporate or High-energy, and select one.
  4. Click Apply hook. If your video already has a hook, click Replace hook instead.
💡 Screenshot needed: Editor Hook panel showing the viral hook tab, style filters, and the Apply hook button.

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Customize your hook

Select the hook on the timeline or in the preview to open Hook settings. You can:
  • Edit the text: Change any word, for example “lunch” to “Lunch menu”.
  • Style the text: Change the color, highlight color, and weight, or apply bold, italic, or underline.
  • Resize and reposition: Adjust the size and position of the headline.
  • Swap images: If the template includes pictures, replace them with your own.
  • Hide captions: Turn off your captions while the hook plays so the two don’t overlap.
  • Turn off sound effects: Keep the visuals and remove the hook’s sound.
💡 Screenshot needed: Hook settings panel with text, color, size, Hide captions, and Sound effects controls.

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Remove a hook

  1. Open your clip or video in the editor.
  2. Select the hook on the timeline.
  3. Press Delete, or click the delete icon in Hook settings.
Your original opening is restored.

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How credits work

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FAQ

Does a hook make my video longer? No. The hook plays over your existing opening. It doesn’t add new footage, change your voice, or extend your timeline. Where does the hook text come from? OpusClip reads the transcript of your opening and fills the template with your own words. You don’t need to replace any placeholder text. Does it work with multiple speakers or split-screen layouts? Yes Can I choose a different template later? Yes. In the editor, open Hook > viral hook, pick a new template, and click Replace hook.